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Vanishing Point: Distant Is The Sun

Nearly seven years after The Fourth Season Australia's Vanishing Point return and as an added bonus long term fan Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica) guests on "Circle of Fire". Sonata are a band who have made strides away from their initial power metal sound and with this release Vanishing Point guitarist Chris Porcianko describes Distant Is The Sun as, "a little more technical, more progressive, more of a step forwards compared to how we were previously, yet keeping our melodic feel intact. But at the same time, our existing fans will love it as well."

Other than being too long – and isn't that so often the case these days, Distant Is The Sun is a really solid album. The triumvirate of the title track, "When Truth Lies" and "Circle of Fire" will possibly not be bettered on any record in 2014 such is their quality. The rest may not be up to those towering standards but those who are already fans will find much to enjoy. Unfortunately the album fades way in a slight mess of comparatively undistinguished songs in the second half but there are more than enough strong points to recommend this disc.


Track Listing:
1. Beyond Redemption
2. King of Empty Promises
3. Distant is the Sun
4. When Truth Lies
5. Circle of Fire
6. Let the River Run
7. Denied Deliverance
8. Story of Misery
9. Era Zero
10. Pillars of Sand
11. As December Fades
12. Handful of Hope
13. Walls of Silence
14. April

Added: March 29th 2014
Reviewer: Simon Bray
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2832
Language: english

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Vanishing Point: Distant Is The Sun
Posted by Steven Reid, SoT Staff Writer on 2014-03-29 15:41:55
My Score:

Heading towards two decades in existence, although the last seven have been idle as far as recorded output goes, Australian Symphonic Power Metallers Vanishing Point return with the slightly more Progressively focused, Distant Is The Sun. Only singer Silvio Massaro and guitarist Chris Porcianko remain from days of old, so the slight alteration in attack is understandable, yet thankfully DITS still hits hard in the way Vanishing Point always did, while, courtesy of a full and colourful production, sounding forcefully current.

Through the likes of "Denied Deliverance", "Era Zero" or the album's title track, the sheer energy and exuberance of what Vanishing Point exist for gallops into view, however as with the rest of the album, the variety from song to song leaves a fresh feel. "Era Zero" romps on a mix of double kick forays and soulful guitar work, "Denied..." brings a stronger Symph-force through blasts of soaring synths and confident full vocals (Massaro nails it throuhgout), while the title cut brings the pace, if not the drum barrage, down a notch, a plaintive keyboard line somehow making its presence felt amongst the attack.

Yet more colours are spread across the slow, harmony vocal-led "Let The River Run", where things almost veer into a strangely muscular power ballad feel. However again Massaro adds just the right amount of focus via a vocal that is as impassioned as it is impressive. While "Pillars Of Sand" thumps home with a light handed gravitas and authority; a difficult balancing act negotiated without the merest wobble.

Detractors will point out that Vanishing Point aren't exactly reinventing any of the wheels marked Power, Symphonic, Progressive, or indeed Metal. Yet, for all their line-up upheavals you have to take into account that VP were around before the current crop of copycats even strapped a guitar round their shoulders. Credit to Massaro and Porcianko for surrounding themselves with a fine band of merry men (Christian Nativo (drums), Simon Best (bass), James Maier (guitar)), capable of carrying the sound and ethos of this band forward, without the need to stay too reverential to their past, or dismissive of it.

As the Prog/Symph/Power market continues to become ever more cluttered by capable, if cookie-cutter acts, thank goodness for albums like Distant Is The Sun and bands like Vanishing Point.

Vanishing Point: Distant Is The Sun
Posted by Scott Jessup, SoT Staff Writer on 2014-03-15 05:37:21
My Score:

As they close in on the milestone of 20 years Vanishing Point the Australian melodic metal group founded in 1995 release their fifth album Distant Is The Sun, a strong melodic mixture of power and progressive metal. Perhaps they where aiming for quality over the quantity of releases as seven years have passed since album number four The Fourth Season. The Vanishing Point of today has a vastly different line-up to the original band as only one from that era remains vocalist Silvio Massaro, though guitarist Chris Porcianko has also been a member for quite some time.


I am glad I have given this album a few weeks to sink in before writing this review as Distant Is The Sun has continued to grow on me, this is a very impressive recording. Although there is fourteen tracks Vanishing Point have made sure they retain your interest with ample variety and appeal. "King Of Empty Promises" is a triumphant power/progressive metal track that races along as the album kicks of on such a positive note and the band sure do stay on one. The title track is a powerful,melodic and truly captivating song and one of the best you will find on Distant Is The Sun . Silvio Massaro's vocals really hit the spot on "When The Truth Lies" and the music is pretty damn awesome, and Silvio nails it again on "Let The River Run". It would seem that Sonata Arctica are fans of this Aussie group having covered a Vanishing Point track on their Don't Say A Word EP, and now vocalist Tony Kakko appears on Distant Is The Sun adding his vocals to the energetic song "Circle Of Fire".


While Distant Is The Sun was a long time coming for Vanishing Point fans the results show band they haven't been sitting on their hands, the wait was more than worth it.




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